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Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Florida is
the #1 boating state in the U.S. by any metric.
With warm weather most of the year, Florida has more than a million registered
boats according to the National Marine Manufacturer’s Association. This does not include the many, many
thousands more unregistered vessels or transient vessels that pass through state
waters every year. Considering the
sheer numbers of boats alone, it shouldn’t be surprising, and the statistics
will tell you, more boats on the water means more boating accidents.

For anyone
who owns a boat in Florida the magnitude of the accident

risk becomes apparent as
soon as you reach the boat ramp for your first 4th of July weekend,
Labor Day weekend or Memorial Day weekend.
On these busiest boating weekends of the year, boat ramps and waterways
are packed. On these
heavy boating weekends to say the least, there is a broad spectrum of competence of vessel operators ranging from
true experts to first time operators. With extreme differences in the competency of
vessel operators anyone, even the most seasoned navigators, can easily find
themselves in the midst of a bad event if they are in the wrong place, at the
wrong time, with the wrong person.

Let me be clear. Everyone who owns
a boat needs to have boat insurance!

Even though boat
insurance is not required here in the state of Florida (like automobile
insurance) banks holding your boat loan require it; marinas storing your boat require it; and many boating events are now beginning to require
proof of insurance for participation. And before you ask, no, your homeowners
policy does not provide any meaningful insurance coverage for your boat. For instance, homeowners policies do not
contemplate coverage issues like salvage, wreck removal, or pollution liability.

Here are
just some of the main reasons every boat owner needs adequate insurance for
their vessel:

Accidents. With more than a million boats in
Florida, and with operators having varying degrees of competence, accidents
will happen. Some are minor, but
the truth is that many accidents every year cause serious injuries, and
even death. Vessel insurance can off-set medical bills and other property
damage.

Litigation. Lawsuits arise in many
different circumstances. Passenger
injuries, injuries to other boaters, collisions, salvage claims, storms,
fire, etc., all can lead to litigation
Without vessel insurance you are left to fend for yourself in a
lawsuit and you will undoubtedly spend more in one lawsuit than you would
for years of boaters insurance.

Theft. Boat insurance can help cover
the cost of replacing your boat if it, or the engine is ever stolen.

Property damage. Boat insurance can cover
repairs and/or replacement if your boat is damaged in a storm, or by
vandalism.

Unknown events. If your boat is moored at
a dock slip, or sitting idly in a storage facility, there is still a
chance your boat could be damaged by lightning or another boat crashing in
to it or someone could be injured as the result of some freak accident
when you are not around. Boat
insurance can protect you even if a loss occurs when you are not using the
boat.

Without insurance you face a terrible risk of losing your investment (ie.
your boat) and perhaps a significant chunk of your other personal assets if you
are involved in litigation resulting from an accident or other bad event.

So how do
you know you are buying the right insurance? Boat insurance policies are normally
flexible and can be tailored to your needs to ensure you get the right policy
at the right price. The broadest policies available are all-risk policies. These policies usually include coverage for
losses due to specific perils such as fire or sinking or failed parts.

Liability only policies are normally much less expensive since they provide no coverage
for damage to your boat, but usually only provide coverage for liability to
others. Liability only policies are
frequently the best choice for vessels that are not worth that much.

No matter what type of policy you choose, be certain you understand what your boat insurance
covers and what it doesn’t cover. Does
your policy cover your trailer? Your electronics? Your outboard motor? Towing
AND salvage? (there is a BIG difference) Your fishing equipment? Your coolers?
What are your navigational limits? Do you get a credit storing your vessel over
the winter? Are you covered for anyone, including children, operating your
vessel?

At the end
of the day the reasons for buying boat insurance are not that different from
the reasons for buying homeowners insurance. Yes, chances are good your house is not going to
burn down, your valuables won’t be stolen in a robbery, your house won’t be
washed away in a flood, but there’s still a chance something COULD happen. The same principle applies to your boat. Something COULD (and probably will) happen
and when it does hopefully you will be calling your insurance company to file a
claim, instead of callingour office to find out what you can do to protect
yourself because you didn’t buy vessel insurance.